Home
by Sakura Alexia
Summary: Home... a simple word composed of only four letters, yet, it holds so much meaning. To each person, a home can be a different thing entirely from one another.


**This is only based from what little we know about BL3 and from personal speculations and theories, don't read too much into it.**  
**Also possible spoilers (?)**

* * *

Home... a simple word composed of only four letters, yet, it holds so much meaning. To each person, a home can be a different thing entirely from one another, from who believes that a home is a cozy building, no matter how fancy or how dirty and ruined it is, while for some others it is simply any place, so long their friends and family are there with them, for others still, it was the place they were born at.

Perhaps, it was a combination of all those things.

"_The Order is falling, Athenas is under attack by the Maliwan forces, they seem to be allied to some bandit cult, fellow brothers claim to have spotted a Siren among them, blasphemous thing, may she be cursed..." _the man talking in the recording was wheezing, the sounds in the background, explosions, gunfire and terrifying screams confirmed that it was desperately trying to get away from something, or rather, someone.

"_... if anyone could hear me... we need help..." _another scream followed, louder, closer, more painful whines and gasps followed. _"... come home child... please..."_ that's where the ECHO went silent, whoever it was, it wasn't alive anymore.

Maya put the recording back on her desk, she couldn't remember how many time she had listened to it in the past couple of days, when one of their soldiers found it while raiding an outpost of those Children of the Vault, they probably kept it as a trophy of some kind. The soldier had obediently brought it to Lilith which, after listening to it, gave it to the person who she believed knew the most about it, Maya herself, the only native of Athenas among the Raiders. During the years they had gathered people from all over the galaxy, however it was weird how she was still the only Athenian on their ship.

Regardless, Lilith had a good idea about bringing the recording to her first, the Firehawk herself expressed some concern towards her fellow Siren as well, she was well aware of Maya's dislike about talking of anything regarding her past with the Order and her planet of origin.

Which was true, the blue haired Siren hated everything about her past, however, being the curious and helpful person she was, she couldn't resist in listening to the recording, and giving out whatever information might have been useful. Which wasn't much but still... at least she was able to recognize the voice of the person speaking, it was Brother Zacharias, she didn't know him too well, he was pretty much the Order's chef, and she wasn't allowed into the kitchen because _"Goddesses don't prepare food for others, their servants do it for them."_ she recalled Brother Sophis' words, the thought making her want to vomit. It was also pretty obvious that the _"child"_ mentioned was her, no one of the Order used to often called her with her own name, thus, she grew up despising said word as well.

Anyways, once the matter was figured out, Lilith had asked her if she wanted to actually act and return to her home planet to try to do something about it, or just let it go and stay with the Raiders, since the whole Athenas thing was a touchy subject for Maya, but also because the Firehawk knew that decisions taken based on emotions were never a good thing, like when she had almost killed Athena in a fit of rage, all those years ago, something some Raiders never forgave her for. She also knew that Maya was different, calm, and rational, but even the most chill person could snap, and she had seen her being capable of it several times during the time they have known each other.

The combination of this all had lead Maya in staying closed in her room aboard Sanctuary III for almost two days straight, it only took a simple ECHO like she heard many before, to stir an inner turmoil within her, she had promised herself that she wouldn't have gone back to her home planet, that she was done with it, that she wouldn't have been what Sophis always wanted her to be, and that lied her about. But what if he didn't lie to her like she believed? Or rather, like she convinced herself that he was a plain liar and that he had just used her for his own gain... one part of the statement was definitely true, but the other? Was it really that true?

Maya paced around her room, her hand twirling in her long blue locks, she vaguely recalled some of Sophis' words. _"If you were to leave, this planet would be defenseless." _he had said to her so long ago, when she had expressed her desire to explore Pandora for the first time. He always filled her and the Athenians on how she was the destined one to protect the planet, the one who would be their protector, and now she wondered, if he was just boasting for himself to appear good with both sides, or if there was more to it?

"_Child, you have so much left to learn!"_ he had yelled at her, just the moment before she killed him, and she wondered now, if he had been right about it, but she had been too blinded by her own rage to care about his words until this moment. What if he really knew more than what he let on and told? And more than what she herself had even known?

Thinking about it, Maya didn't really know all too much, yes, she was knowledgeable, she loved to read, a thing she had taken from the abbey, since she didn't have too much to keep herself company outside the time she was training, but in the end she didn't know that much, not about what she really cared about, the reason why she fled, to know more about the Siren race, her race. But she went in blind, and the only Siren she met that was still alive was Lilith, and she was just as clueless as her. Not even Tannis, the woman who stirred her curiosity at the beginning of it all, was of much help either, despite how obsessed she was was them as well.

Confronting herself with Lilith one time, she had discovered that her Siren sister never actually had any training, she had discovered and honed her abilities by herself, and she highly doubted Angel had any chance to learn about herself, that poor girl... Maya regretted not having been able to save her even now. So, the answer was that indeed the Order knew more about Sirens than what they ever told her, deducing from the fact that they knew she was a Siren the moment she was born and that they knew how to train her. You don't learn certain things from books.

If Sophis had been indeed right, then she was needed there, if not for the lies he told, for the people that suffered because of them both, they used to be scared of her, and now they are suffering because she had left them.

"_You owe them nothing Maya." _however, she was unable to stop the nagging feeling that she did owe them something, for whatever reason. Once again she cursed at Sophis for messing with her head so much and for so long.

But these people were innocents, and they were dying because no one was there to protect them, the Order was nothing without her. She had been there for the people of Pandora back then, when Handsome Jack used to be a threat, and she barely knew anyone, nor they knew her, but they treated her well, whoever was within the old Sanctuary that is, and so, she had decided to fight. The people of Athenas meant no harm to her either, they were just afraid because they were misled, could they really be blamed then?

Maya shook her head, in the end, they were all victims, besides, Maliwan and the Children of the Vault were already enemies of the Raiders, so if anything, she could be helping them, as always. What did she have to lose in the end?

* * *

"So... that's your decision then." Lilith looked at her, her expression blank, but her eyes betrayed concern.

Maya nodded. "Yes."

"If I may ask, what made you change your mind? You were so against going back home before." there was a frown on the redhead's face.

"Those people are innocents Lilith, we protected Pandora back then, I don't see a reason why it would be different for the Athenians. They need me, just like you needed me years ago." she crosses her arms. "And besides, I could clear things with the Order, I feel like there's more to them than what I ever known when I was in their care."

The Firehawk rolled her eyes. "If you could call that _"care"._" she shook her head. "They weren't very nice to you."

Maya shrugged. "I don't have to do what they say, they hold no power over me anymore." the statement causing a small laugh from the other woman.

"That is true, but be careful okay?" she placed a hand on the taller Siren's shoulder. "And don't do anything you'll regret, I'm an expert on this, trust me." she winked, making Maya giggle. "I will."

What happened next caught her a bit off-guard, Lilith had suddenly hugged her, after an awkward moment she returned the embrace, it had been a long time, but she still wasn't completely used at displays of affection yet. She was about to ask what was wrong, when the other woman beat her to it.

"Just come back to us okay? I'll take you home but you promise you'll come back." Lilith said, burying her face on Maya's shoulder, she was shaking, but wasn't crying, yet. Losing Roland had been horrible, she couldn't lose anyone else, not another one, not her.

Maya tightened the hold, she had a feeling it would be something like this, and, besides Mordecai and Brick, she was the closest person Lilith had, there were some things that only another Siren could understand sometimes.

"I promise but Lilith..." she lifted the other woman's chin so she could look at her. "Athenas isn't my home, here is my home, with you, and the others." this made Lilith smile.

"You're such a hopeless romantic."

* * *

Stepping on Athenas' terrain for the first time in years, Maya was greeted by the sight of its colorful plants and flowers, however it wasn't enough to keep her from looking back at the sky, watching the shrinking form of Sanctuary III disappear as it flew back in space towards who knows what destination.

She would settle things and go back home, where there were people that cared about her, that loved her, that were missing her. No matter where she was nor where they were, the Raiders were her family now, they were their home... and she would always return.


End file.
